


The Legend of Zelda: A Hundred Years Past

by BreathOfTheMild



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alive Champions (Legend of Zelda), F/M, Fluff, Mild Angst, Post-Game(s), Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Some Plot, Spoilers, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-08-26 01:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16671781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreathOfTheMild/pseuds/BreathOfTheMild
Summary: After the sudden defeat of the century old Calamity, Link, Zelda and the revived champions are lurched into a world that doesn't seem to need them anymore. As they struggle to cope with the aftermath of the event that tore Hyrule apart, the six heroes finally get a chance to realise how they feel about each other and how they could hope to move forward together.





	1. The Great Calamity

100 years of confusion, anger and vengeance summoned the strength behind Link's final blow to the Great Calamity. His mind and body reeling from pulsing exhaustion, Link forced the master sword deep into the heart of Ganon. The beast lurched and screeched in pain, with unidentified black matter pouring out of its wounds. With one last shriek of defiance, the creature turned its gaze onto the terrified Zelda, who was doing all she could to reawaken her sealing power. Link recognised the malice and hatred growing in its eyes. He knew that Ganon wasn't going to go alone and, in one final act of hate, threw itself at the princess. Zelda's scream resonated throughout the chamber as the mortally wounded beast shambled towards her at an alarming speed. She stared, unmoving, into its eyes and saw nothing but darkness and horror. And for the first time in a century, Zelda let herself feel scared. Link lost sight of the princess as the beast obscured her from view and, determined to not lose her again, Link sprinted towards her. With a shriek of rage, Link severed another of the beast's twisted limbs before it could act, but was lurched forward by the beast's resultant roar shaking the room. Large pieces of debris detached from the dome roof and began pouring down onto them, forcing Link to wipe the thick layer of dust and ash from his face to keep Ganon in view. There was uncharacteristic silence for a moment as the debris ceased to fall. Link was too exhausted to move. Ganon simply stood, bleeding dark fluid, and thought. A sickly smile began to grow on Ganon's face, its festering mouth agape with sharp, uneven teeth protruding jaggedly from its jaw. It limped over to the window, its limbs barely carrying its weight and lumbering out of time with each other. It roared defiantly, expelling blinding crimson light from the device embedded in its claws. Zelda suddenly cried out from inside the chamber.  
"No! No, please, not again." She begged between shallow breaths, "Link, we have to stop him!"  
Link shot his gaze over to Zelda before starting off towards Ganon. A sudden wave of energy burst from Ganon's gauntlet, sweeping Link off his feet and landing him harshly on the ground. Zelda whimpered at the sound of the knight's body crack as he hit the ground.  
"It's too late." Zelda lamented, "It's already started. He's using any and all control he can still muster over the divine beasts and the guardians. He's going to self-destruct them all!"  
Ganon screamed out once again, but this time the pain was masked by a deep, horrible laugh that penetrated the depths of the chamber and the two Hylians' souls.   
"The champions!" Zelda cried out, "Link, our friends, they're all doomed!"  
With a fresh breath of determination, Link forced himself to his feet and limped forward to shield Zelda, making every ounce of his mind focus on stopping his friends from dying. He winced in pain as his body fought to give up, but he wouldn't let himself falter.   
"Link, please, there's nothing we can do!"   
Link didn't let himself hear Zelda's pleas and clumsily unsheathed his sword.  
In one last desperate act, Zelda screamed out everything she felt, "I can't lose you too!"  
Link turned, a glint of emotion appearing in his eye as he faced the princess. Suddenly, Ganon raised his arm to strike the knight while he was unaware.  
"Link, NO!"  
His reflexes finally kicking in, Link spun around and lodged the master sword into Ganon's glowing gauntlet. It screamed out once again as the metallic seams on the device began to crack and seep dark red energy. Link pushed and pushed, burning out what little resolve he had left to hack away at Ganon's device. Zelda appeared behind him and used what remained of her might to pull him away, determined to take Link away from this place forever and the let the beast die alone in the castle he sought to control. But Link continued to fight until the gauntlet had been utterly destroyed, sending the beast reeling backwards. The balcony suddenly dislodged and Ganon was finally vanquished with his grotesque form twisting in on itself as his life force rapidly drained.  
Link collapsed.  
He was still conscious, but couldn't bring himself to stand. Zelda desperately tried to pull him away from the edge of the crumbling structure, but Link resisted, falling to the floor and crawling forth slowly as he watched the guardians below them begin to shake and fall apart. Link reached up with his sheikah slate and threw it onto the crimson pedestal next to them. He heard the sound dropping from his hand onto the concrete next to him. Finally, his body forced itself to sleep. Zelda looked on in wonder with the knight safely in her arms as each guardian was drained of its colour and turned unceremoniously into metallic husks.

Deep in the heart of Death Mountain, Divine Beast Vah Rudania let out a final roar and lost all function, its limbs collapsing onto the surface of the volcano. Out of the giant creature's mouth came the injured champion Daruk, clutching his chest and chuckling heartily to himself as he saw the final trail of Ganon's presence dissipate above Hyrule Castle, leaving only the damaged structure behind. "I knew you could do it, little guy!" he cried jovially, "Though escaping with my life was never part of the plan!"  
He scooped up a meltingly hot rock that was placed next to him and took an impossibly large bite out of it, continuing to laugh from a combination of shock and relief. 

Divine Beast Vah Medoh's talons seized up around the rocks it was perched upon as the rings around its eyes rapidly went dark. A disgruntled Revali shot suddenly from the open top of the beast, breathing heavily and laughing uncontrollably. He flew around in circles, treating powerful updrafts in his wake.  
"Not bad for a little Hylian with a sword the size of a twig!" He yelled out, unable to suppress his joy, "Not bad at all!"

Atop a small mountain looming over the Gerudo Desert, Divine Beast Vah Naboris' movements became jerky and uneven, with the beast at last coming to a complete halt. Its colour had disappeared. From the head of the dead ancient beast, the Gerudo champion Urbosa stepped proudly from her piloting chamber, a bright smile plastered on her face.   
"I knew my faith was well placed, in both of you." She mused to herself, "My dear, dear friends. You deserve all the happiness in the world."

The Zora people looked on in awe as Divine Beast Vah Ruta let out a terrifying roar, before being cleansed of all of Ganon's influence, as well as any power it had retained. The beast was simply an ancient statue now, losing all purpose in one fell swoop. Upon the beast's trunk, Mipha emerged, trident in hand, seemingly unscathed. The crowd of Zora in her city beneath her cheered loudly, throwing their arms in the air in celebration. She spotted her brother below at the front of the crowd, barely choking back tears.  
"I know what we agreed, but I always knew you wouldn't let us die." She whispered to herself softly, her mind fixed on the face of the Hylian knight she loved so dearly, "I know in my mind you are still safe. I will heal every wound you sustained this day, as I always will."

Though Link saw or felt nothing in his unconscious state, he heard the joyous cries of his friends from throughout Hyrule and, satisfied with the outcome of his efforts, he fell deeper and deeper into sleep. Zelda held him there, atop the crumbling castle as the light rose upon Hyrule once again, softly stroking his hair and wiping the dirt from his face. The battle had at last been won.


	2. Five & One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking place directly following the demise of Calamity Ganon, Link is struggling to recover from his recent fight, and as his friends gather around him, everybody wonders where they can go from here. But more than anything, they wonder if their varying paths in life can still include each other.

Link, since his climactic fight, had been asleep for several days and his dreams had become laced with blackness and fear. Link saw himself falling; falling endlessly through a vortex in the earth beneath Hyrule. When he at last landed, the ground was harsh and scathing, forcing him to relive the horrible pain he felt during his fight with Ganon. His bones seemed to twist and crack out of place as he tried desperately to clear his foggy vision. For the longest time, he stared up at the ceiling of the cavern he found himself in, which seemed to pulse with dark vitality as a crimson fluid pumped through the cracks in the stone. Eventually, he forced himself to his feet and faced towards the centre of the chamber. On four short pedestals scattered throughout the room, stood his friends, each infested with Ganon’s influence. The sight of this made Link ill at ease. Daruk seemed too heavy on his feet to stand up straight, the disgusting monster hanging from his head weighing him down, as he struggled to wield his hammer against Link. Revali’s wings had been tattered and torn, while his dark red eyes stared Link up and down and Ganon pulsed across his face and chest. Urbosa swayed from side to side as the creature seemed to make a nest in the crook of her neck, forcing her expression to one of malicious anger. And lastly, Mipha, the one Link couldn’t bring himself to say he cared for the most, therefore seemed the worst affected. Barely any of Mipha was recognisable aside from the shape of her head, as all of her form had been taken by the creature. Her trident was raised, ready to strike. Link’s lip trembled as he fell to the floor, overtaken by fear. A shadow formed at the back of the room as Zelda stepped forward, with the silhouette of Ganon’s monstrous form behind her. Her eyes sparkled a deep blue, like crystals, but more notably Guardians. Link began to cry softly as he caught a glimpse of Ganon’s jagged smile once again as his former friends shambled towards him. 

Suddenly, the dark returned. Link saw or heard nothing but his own ragged breaths, but felt something else entirely. Hot tears flowing down his face. He awoke in that moment, distant and afraid, but finally alive. There, on the bed he had been laid in, was Zelda, her face stricken with worry as she softly wiped the tears that had streamed onto his cheeks. Zelda held his face in her hands for a moment, lost for words as she noticed Link shaking uncontrollably.  
“Shhh, shh, you’re safe now.” She assured him, the softness of her tone lulling Link into temporary calm, “You have nothing to be scared of.”  
In truth, Zelda herself was very, very scared. She’d never seen Link like this before. Several loud knocks on the door of Link’s cottage shocked Zelda out of her musings.  
“He’s awake?” came Daruk’s rough voice from outside of the cottage, “Well, let us in! We wanna see the little guy!”  
“In a moment!” Zelda chided, a little more firmly than she had intended. She returned her attention to Link, her voice becoming soft once again.  
“Our friends are here to see you, Link. We’ve been worried sick about you.” She said, all in one breath, “You’ve been asleep for almost a week. If it weren’t for Mipha’s healing abilities, you would surely have perished.  
Link lifted his arm slowly from under the blanket and, sure enough, all that remained of the deep scars he sustained on the day of Ganon’s defeat were small dark marks that barely permeated his skin. He attempted to throw the blanket aside and stand, but Zelda quickly stopped him.  
“No, Link.” She said firmly, “It’s much too soon. Give your body time to rest.”  
“Surely we can come in now!” Daruk cried impatiently from outside, “It’s so cold out here!”  
“There’s barely a chill.” Revali groaned incredulously.  
“It’s freezing! I can’t feel my beard!”  
Zelda sighed to herself. “You may enter.”  
The door burst open, with Daruk being the first to enter, having to duck down several feet in order to fit through the tiny frame. Link saw the rest of his friends enter and run up the stairs to greet him, except Revali, who stood alone by the door.  
“Are you feeling okay, little guy? Is there anything I can do? I brought a hearty rock roast for my favourite little Hylian!” Daruk blurted out, his thoughts becoming his speech quicker than he realised.  
Urbosa placed a hand on Daruk’s shoulder to politely silence him, before sitting down on the edge of the bed next to Link, “Are you feeling alright?”  
Link nodded after a few moments, though he could only focus his mind on food. He had no idea when his last meal would’ve been. Urbosa placed her hand on Link’s forehead, seemingly to gauge the state of his health. “He’s deathly hungry.” She frowned, “Have we any food to offer him?”  
Zelda considered for a moment and turned quickly towards the door. “Revali, there’s a bag of rations I left by the fire before I entered, would you mind bringing it inside?”  
The disgruntled Rito simply sighed, his eyes drooping as if harbouring a great sadness, and disappeared outside without a word.  
“Your wounds are certainly much less prominent than they were.” came Mipha’s voice as she stepped out in front of Daruk, “Though you are still very delicate.”  
She took hold of Link’s arms and looked down at them for a moment, losing herself in her thoughts. She shuddered and came to, channeling her energy into healing the remainder of Link’s scars. “There.” She said softly, “All better.”  
Revali returned silently and handed the bag to Zelda. Link ate heartily, as he always did, though each of the four champions had noticed what Zelda had seen upon waking Link that morning. He seemed different, not acting entirely odd, but was most definitely shaken. Not another word was shared amongst the group as they ate and this uncomfortable silence followed the six of them outside into the mid morning dew. Despite their recent victory against the Calamity, all of them still had duties to attend to. Zelda dawdled towards the back of the group, with Revali trailing close behind her.  
“I’m leaving.” He said matter-of-factly, “I assume you have no further need of my talents. I will return to Rito Village forthwith.”  
Zelda turned to face him, eager to share her compassion with him as well as Link. “Oh, you don’t have to.” Zelda said sadly, “We would still be glad of your company.”  
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be just as well without me.” He sighed, “Besides, you have the hero of Hyrule to keep you all happy, do you not?”  
Without giving Zelda a moment to respond, Revali suddenly took flight and disappeared into the horizon. Trying not to give this a second thought, Zelda quickly shuffled forward to catch up with the others as they blinked into the sun and strolled uncertainly into a new day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Aaaa I've never posted on this site before and I was really pleased with the feedback I ended up getting so thanks to everyone who read/left kudos on my first chapter! This one is where we actually start getting into the post-game element of the fic. And sorry this one is a little shorter, I think a lot of these will end up varying in length.
> 
> So basically from this point, let the champion content begin (Also I promise I'll figure out what the ships will be but whatever it is it's gonna melt my HEART to write it)


	3. This Was My Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Hyrule struggles to fit itself back together, each of the champions go their separate ways. But when Zelda seems to stumble upon some unfinished business, Link suddenly find himself in the company of an old friend.

After a few rushed days of travelling, Link and Zelda had parted ways with the various other champions, who each returned to their respective homelands. The two Hylians felt an unwavering attachment towards Hyrule Castle and felt it was their duty to see if there was anything they could do to fix it. When they had finally arrived, looking upon the crumbling ruins of their former home was devastating. Since Ganon’s destruction a little under a week prior, several other sections of the structure had fallen away, leaving huge holes in the front wall that were visible now Ganon was no longer infesting it. Every tower bar one had collapsed in on itself, apparently starting a small fire that had ravaged some of the wooden beams still standing inside the castle.  
“This is…” Zelda started, faltering for a moment, “Much worse than I had anticipated.”  
Link looked on sadly at the stone shell in front of him, more uncertain than ever of his future.  
“This was my home, for my whole life, before all this mess.” Zelda muttered, absently stepping towards the castle gate, “Everything I’ve ever known is gone. I spent so long fighting in that cursed place, I’d almost forgotten what it was for.”  
She turned to Link, the glint of sadness in her eye remaining as she did. “And you. One century apart and you’re the same as the day I saw you die.”  
Link stepped forward and tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.  
“Oh, Link.” She sighed, leaning her head against his chest, “I just don’t know what happens now. Where are we supposed to go from here?”  
Link blinked hard, confused as to what she meant, but let Zelda rest her head upon him. The distant sounds of horse hooves drawing closer and closer carried them from their thoughts. They pulled away from each other as a group of soldiers barrelled over the hill next to them.  
“Princess, I hope we aren’t disturbing you.” came the voice of the first woman, “We were dispatched from Kakariko Village. Lady Impa sent for you. She told us we’d find you here.”  
Link and Zelda looked at each other and silently agreed to accompany the soldiers back to the village.

As the group entered the village, Link had found himself barred from entering Impa’s house, with the guards citing that he wasn’t allowed to be present for the meeting at Impa’s request. So this meant, for the first time since he had awoken from his coma, he seemed to have nothing to do. He sat by the goddess statue in the village, creating and destroying ice blocks with his sheikah slate. He thought back to the dream he’d had only the night before and shuddered in the cold night air. He was usually tired at this time of the night, but felt that he would not be able to sleep at all on this night. After an hour or so of stewing in his thoughts, one of the guards that denied him access to Impa’s home approached him by the spring.  
“The princess will remain with Impa tonight.” the guard said abruptly, “They have important business to discuss. I suggest you leave the village and return to wherever you came from.”  
Without another word, the guard marched away in the other direction, leaving Link once again alone. He considered what their meeting could be about, but then remembered that he was no longer in the royal family’s employ, effectively making him redundant. His presence wasn’t needed, and he felt this in the tone of the guard’s voice. Slowly, he rose from the grass he was sat upon and trudged to a nearby fire he could attempt to rest by, but was stopped in his tracks by a whisper from the river.  
“Link!” came a hushed voice from under the wooden bridge to the statue.  
His eyebrows furrowed, Link cautiously approached the spring once again. He scanned around him, but the village itself was desolate. The moon was at its height and the village was entirely asleep.  
“Link, over here!” the voice whispered again, louder this time.  
Link slowly leant over the edge of the bridge, but jumped back in surprise when something emerged from the water. Once Link had processed the shock, the figure that had emerged partly from the water was undoubtedly the Zora prince Sidon.  
“Link, finally!” He beamed from the water, his teeth reflecting blinding white light from the moon, “I’m so happy to see you! I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”  
Link smiled at the sight of his old friend, but his confusion remained. Why was he still whispering?  
“You must return to Zora’s Domain with me at once.” He stated, “It’s important. Really important”  
Link instinctively went to protest, but remembered as he turned back towards Impa’s home that he was no longer an appointed knight.  
“Oh, Zelda will be fine. I promise I’ll bring you back here before dawn.” Sidon assured him, “Now jump on!”  
Before Link could think to say anything else, Sidon swooped him up onto his back and ran toward the village border, immediately jumping into the nearest body of water he could find to begin the long swim back to Zora’s Domain.  
“Is anything the matter, friend?” Sidon asked, concern laced in his voice, “Something seems wrong.”  
Link cast his eyes down to indicate that he couldn’t quite tell.  
“Well, I’m sure whatever it is, you’ll solve the problem!” Sidon smiled, “After all, you’re the strongest, most amazing Hylian I know! That’s why I came to fetch you!”  
Link couldn't help but smile at Sidon's overwhelming positivity and finally allowed himself to relax. After a few minutes of silence, the gentle lull of the waves as Sidon steadily swam through the rivers of Hyrule sent Link peacefully into sleep.

Link's sleep was absent of any dreams on this night, though a sense of unease was still stuck in his mind, even as he slept. It was very clear that Link had not fully physically recovered yet and his defiance of Zelda's advice was beginning to take its toll. He woke to the sound of Sidon pushing slowly through the water surrounding Zora's Domain, which glowed as bright a blue as ever in the moonlight, even with Link's blurry vision. He rubbed his eyes to stave off the need for sleep and attempted to steady himself as Sidon climbed up onto the bridge into the city.  
"Did you sleep okay?" Sidon asked as the two quickly scaled the curved pillar, "Sorry I couldn't leave you to rest! You must need it!"  
Link shrugged this off and continued climbing until he reached the bridge, though he noticed that even this simple, brief climb had taken a lot more energy than it usually would. He frowned and cocked his head to the side as he realised that the bridge into the city was entirely empty of any of the Zora, even the guards were absent. A small shadow appeared suddenly on the bridge to greet them, carrying her signature trident.  
"Hello, Link." came Mipha's voice as she approached them, "I apologise for having you brought here like this without warning, but I desperately need your help."  
Link's face was quickly stricken with worry as he couldn't help but assume the worst, though he wasn't even sure what the worst would be. Sidon stood by Link, speechless and solemn, the happiness he exuded earlier on utterly gone.  
"It's my father." Mipha started, her eyes glancing to the crystal-encrusted floor, "Since my return, his grief has turned to some odd form of paranoia. He's adamant that I must not be placed any danger ever again."  
"It's been 100 years since we saw her." Sidon continued, "He treats her as if she is still a child, rather than seeing her as the capable adult she has become."  
Link, though still worried, was uncertain as to what any of this meant.  
"My father has posted guards throughout the city, at every exit to this city, especially further down the main bridge." She said sadly, "He is not allowing me to leave Zora's Domain ever again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hhhhhi sorry this one is a lil shorter, but the next is longer so I guess that's a thing. Thank u so much to anyone who's been reading this so far! I'll make sure to try n keep it coming out regularly
> 
> Have also had some feedback on what ship i should do so hh get ready for some lipha down the road


	4. The Eyes of the King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revali struggles to cope with his self-made isolation. Zelda reels from the disappearance of her barely functioning friend, while Link attempts to solve a problem of his own in Zora's Domain.

Meanwhile, in an opposite corner of Hyrule, the perpetually angered Revali had just arrived back in his hometown, but refused to speak with anyone and instead made his way immediately to the Flight Range. Without a second thought, Revali unsheathed his bow and took to the skies, firing arrow after arrow into each of the glowing targets until each one perfectly shattered. Many residents of Rito Village had seen this, but decided to leave him alone. All of Revali's thoughts and worries melted away with each arrow he fired and each hour he wiled away. Eventually, as his energy ran out, Revali began to falter. Targets were missed more often than they were hit, his wings ached sharply with each progressive flap and each of his take offs became more and more unbalanced. Before Revali even had a chance to process the pain he felt pulsing through his body, it was dark and he had stumbled to the floor at the edge of the cliff, breathing heavily.  
"Champion Revali." boomed the voice of village elder Kaneli, "You have returned to us! Won't you return to the village to rest for the night?"  
Revali forced himself to his feet once he realised he was in the presence of another and dismissed the elder's words with a vague flap of his wing. He picked up his bow once again with a shaky talon, his aim visibly unsteady. Revali barely had the strength to pull back the string of the bow, so Kaneli used this opportunity to move slightly closer to him.  
"What are you doing here?" Kaneli frowned, unable to understand Revali's motives, "What is all this for?"  
Revali stood for a moment, taking in snatched breaths before throwing his bow carelessly to the side. "I wasn't ready last time the dark came to Hyrule." He seethed, his eyes glazed down towards the thick snow covering his feet, "I wasn't ready and we all nearly died. All of Hyrule was lost. So when the darkness returns, as I know it will, I shall be ready."  
He walked away from Kaneli, retrieving his bow as he passed, indicating the end of his conversation with the elder.  
"The fight is over, Revali." Kaneli stated firmly, "Ganon is vanquished. There's nothing more to be done."  
Revali, of course, wasn't listening at all and had already climbed to the top of the Flight Range.  
"You can all celebrate, you can all revere your stupid little Hylians with darkness sealing twigs!" He spat, the snow picking up into a stormy blizzard all around him, "But when the dark returns, when you're least expecting it to, it'll be me fighting it off. It'll be the real heroes, the worthy warriors, who will have the honour of driving the beasts back!"  
Revali took off once again into the air and quickly became lost to Kaneli as his form disappeared into the icy storm. With sad eyes and a heavy heart, Kaneli began the trek back to Rito Village. And there Revali was, floating in the centre of a snowstorm, bitingly cold and completely alone. He saw Kaneli slowly walk away from the Flight Range until he disappeared from view.  
"It's just as well," He thought to himself, "I've never needed them, not any of them."  
Quickly, his strength began to falter until he could no longer hold himself in the air against the strength of the bitter wind. His wings at last gave way and he plummeted swiftly and gracelessly to the ground below.

The sun rose slowly over Kakariko Village, bringing with it a sense of peace and calm. Zelda, however, who had awoken in one of the guest beds in Impa's residence, sensed there was already something amiss.   
"Link." She mumbled sleepily as she opened the sliding door into the corridor, "Where's Link? You let him in, didn't you?"  
The guard standing at the end of the corridor shifted nervously as he realised exactly who he'd sent away the previous night.  
"Princess," He started, approaching her cautiously, "The small man who was accompanying you, I assumed he was no longer in your employ."  
Zelda turned swiftly towards him, daggers in her eyes, "What are you saying to me?"  
"I sent him away. I'm so sorry, I had no idea-"  
"You did what?!"  
The guard stood silently, his eyes cast down to the floor.  
"Do you have any idea how difficult it will be to find him?" She seethed, "He could anywhere in Hyrule, I wouldn't even know where to start!"  
The Guard Captain entered the corridor at this moment and hesitated upon seeing the Princess' anger, but decided to deliver her message anyway.  
"Ma'am, Lady Impa wishes to speak with you before you depart."  
"Then tell her I apologise but I have to locate Link."  
"Why?" The captain asked, "We all know Link, I'm sure he'll be fine on his own."  
"No, you don't understand." Zelda sighed impatiently, "He's not himself. His body and mind, it's still healing. And he's not going to look after himself properly if he goes blundering off into the wilderness."  
"Then allow me to assist you in finding him." The captain said simply, "My tracking abilities are unmatched."  
This answer confused but pleased Zelda, her worry beginning to melt ever so slightly. "What's your name?"  
"Captain Malen, ma'am."  
"Thank you, Malen." Zelda said, "If this will not interfere with your duties, I would like to set off immediately."  
"Of course."  
Ignoring the frantic protests of the guard who dismissed Link the night before, the two hastily left Impa's home and began quietly brainstorming where Link could possibly have gone. In truth, they had no idea.

Later that same morning, Link awoke to the sounds of water gently lapping up the sides of the crystal pillars of Zora's Domain. On a small stool by the side of Link's bed sat Mipha, who smiled thinly as Link sat up and noticed her.  
"Good morning." Mipha said, "I apologise for not waking you. You looked so peaceful."  
Link blinked at her, confused at this, which made Mipha giggle to herself. "How are you feeling this morning?"  
Link nodded and smiled to indicate that he was feeling much better physically, though the sense of vague unease he'd felt since Ganon's demise had worsened. Link didn't feel right in himself and didn't know how to articulate it.  
"I'm glad." She smiled, "I would've hoped to let you sleep longer, but Father is aware of your presence and would like to see you.  
Link forced himself from the sheets and took a deep breath. The air tasted of microscopic water droplets that danced on his tongue when he inhaled. For a moment, the sensation calmed him, but quickly, this dissipated as he found himself standing before King Dorephan with Mipha and Sidon by his side.  
"Master Link." came Dorephan's booming voice. He sat, entirely stoic and unmoving above them, his eyes fixed on the Hylian champion. "I am pleased you have returned to us."  
Link nodded courteously. He clocked Sidon as he stepped forward, noticing the stern expression on his face.  
"Father, I had hoped Link's presence might hope to change your mind on Mipha's imprisonment."  
"Now, Sidon, I would hardly say imprisonment." Dorephan said sternly, "Mipha has all of her home comforts and safety here in Zora's Domain. She has no reason to leave this place and I will not change my mind on this matter."  
Sidon opened his mouth to protest, but Mipha stopped him.  
"Please, little brother." She said, "Allow me to speak for myself."  
She stood forward and looked her father firmly in the eye. "As my father, I understand and appreciate your desire to keep me safe." She explained, "But as much as I love my home, I am not happy to be kept here like some animal. I will always be your daughter but I ask you to respect the fact that I am no longer a child."  
King Dorephan sighed to himself. "My dear Mipha," He began, clearing his throat, "I am only trying to keep you safe. Hyrule is a dangerous realm and you know this for a fact. You chose your own path to pilot that divine beast and you were lost to it! 100 years and we all thought you had died! No, I won't allow it to happen aga-."  
"With respect, Father," Mipha interrupted, swallowing her growing frustration, "As I have explained, I am no longer a child. I shall come and go from this realm as I please."  
"Oh, Mipha, please don't make this more difficult than it has to be."  
"Mipha has spoken." Sidon said firmly, "You cannot keep her here."  
Link's face had barely controlled anger scrawled all over it. He kept a tight fist on the hilt of his sword.  
"Guards!" Dorephan spat, realising he was losing control over the situation. The many Zora guards surrounding them suddenly drew their spears.  
"Father, what is this?" Mipha shouted.  
"This is for your own good, your continued safety." He muttered, though he wasn't looking at anyone in particular.   
Mipha began to switch herself off as she saw the guards slowly advance upon them. She knew Sidon had started to yell, but didn't register a word he was saying. Link stepped in front of Mipha and went to draw his sword, but Mipha placed her hand on his to stop him.  
"Please don't." She whispered, "This is all too much."  
The guards stopped when they'd made a perfect circle around them. Mipha shedded a tear and faced Link again. Instinctively, Link walked forward and held her, Link's dear friend breaking down in his arms. While he didn't know how to deal with the situation at hand, he did know that one of his best friends was crying and that was all that mattered.  
"Link." Sidon said, fear present in his voice, "You have to leave now. I'm sorry I brought you here like this."  
Link turned his head to Sidon, confusion rearing its head once again in Link's mind, but he still did not want to let go of Mipha.  
"Something is very, very wrong with Father."  
They all faced King Dorephan, whose eyes seemed to glint a bright shade of red for a moment. He blinked and the colour disappeared instantly. Mipha finally pulled away from Link.  
"You must go." She cried, "I don't know what's happening, but Zora's Domain is in danger. You cannot be here for this."  
Link shook his head rapidly. Mipha firmly held his face in her hands.   
"Please go. We'll be fine, I promise you."  
And with that, Mipha pushed Link outside of the circle of guards. As a chorus of shouts rang out, Link turned and sprinted across the central bridge out of the city. A few of the guards gave chase, but quickly stopped as he crossed the border. He worried deeply for Mipha, but there was nothing he could do now. Once again, Link found himself alone and without a purpose. There was nowhere to go but forward.


	5. The Missing Link

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daruk struggles to adapt to life without his old friends and inadvertently uncovers a dangerous conspiracy. Zelda and Malen find their first clue that could lead to Link's discovery, while Revali encounters a familiar face in the snow.

After a long hard week of wandering around Goron City and pretending all was as it should be, Daruk had taken up a job in the nearby mine to distract himself from his overpowering feelings of sudden loneliness. Of all of the champions, Daruk had taken the abrupt separation of the group the hardest, even though he fully understood why it had happened. Everyone had their duties to their respective towns. Daruk, however, seemed to have fallen by the wayside. As he hacked incessantly away at the wall of ore in front of him, he clocked two younger Gorons beside him, happily talking away, and Daruk realised he missed companionship more than anything.  
"Boy, things are so much easier now the Calamity is over!" The first Goron shouted.  
"I know, isn't it?" came the excited voice of the second Goron, "Things are so much easier!"  
Looking across, Daruk noticed that the two identical Gorons had suddenly turned towards him, both grinning wildly.  
"Don't you feel much safer now the Calamity is gone?" The first Goron cried, his eyes not leaving Daruk.  
"Yeah, of course." Daruk said dismissively.  
Daruk was taken aback by how the two of them were acting, but pushed this thought to the back of his mind. He stopped hacking away at the ore and decided that all he had the energy for was sitting idly by the fire near the ore. He reached into his deep pocket and pulled out a crumpled photograph. Unfurling the photo revealed several white crevices obscuring some of the picture, as well as the image itself becoming faded and grey from its time spent in Daruk's back pocket. But the image was still clear enough for Daruk to see the faces of his friends; the only photograph ever taken of the six champions together. He stared sadly at the photograph for a few moments, running a heavy hand over it in an attempt to smooth out the wrinkles.  
"Say, now the castle is destroyed and there's no sign of the royal family, who's going to run Hyrule?" came the voice of the second Goron once again.  
"Gee, I don't know." The other replied, "I hear the Yiga Clan have some big plans for our future! We should welcome them into our cities!"  
Daruk swiftly pocketed the photo and shot his gaze towards the Gorons. Both were holding half eaten bananas, their pickaxes strewn across the volcanic floor.  
"I feel it would be much easier for the Yiga," The first Goron grinned, "With one less champion in our way."  
And with that, the two Yiga members hastily dropped their disguises and leapt forward. Daruk instinctively summoned his shield, knocking the two back long enough for Daruk to draw his club.  
"Come on, you little cowards!" Daruk yelled, brandishing his club, "Ain't no one bad getting into Goron City while Daruk's around!"  
He swung his club in a full circle with all his might, knocking one of the Yiga over the hill into the distance. The second Yiga stumbled backwards, shakily wielding his scythe. Daruk sensed his fear and walked slowly towards him, resting his club on the Yiga member's head.  
"Take a message to your leader!" Daruk bellowed, "Hyrule is protected!"  
The Yiga member disappeared in a cloud of red smoke. As he dissipated, the Yiga's scythe and a small scrap of paper dropped to the ground. Upon closer inspection, Daruk found a list of six names, with his own at the top of the list.

Zelda and Malen had been wandering aimlessly around Hyrule Field for what felt like weeks. Malen had yet to be able to identify any of Link's footprints, so sadly they knew as much as they did when they left the village a few nights ago. Zelda abruptly stopped by a tree, signalling for Malen to do the same. There under the large oak tree was a smouldering fire that couldn't have been used more than a few hours ago. Beside it was a pile of weapons and materials, which likely would’ve been most of Link’s belongings.  
“Oh no.” Zelda gasped, “He’s left all of his things. Why would he do that?”  
Malen turned over one of the rocks near the tree. Furrowing her brow, she realised the markings on its underside had a meaning.  
‘That’s..” Zelda stuttered, “That’s us.”  
She was right. The drawings on the stone weren’t rudimentary enough to be unrecognisable, but the rough edges and uneven shading made it clear that this was Link’s handiwork. Zelda was stood proudly in the centre of Link’s mural, smiling as brightly as she did the day Link awoke in his cottage. Each of the four champions (even Revali) held the same expression and it became clear that Link had put a painstaking amount of time and detail into this drawing.  
“I think this is Link’s way of saying he misses us.” Zelda whispered, a little teary-eyed.  
Oddly, Zelda noticed that, out of the five figures in the drawing, her own seemed to have the most detail. This was mostly present in the bright smile upon her face that seemed to warmly reassure all who looked at the mural. Every mark Link had crafted perfectly resembled Zelda and it was clear just from a glance that this would've taken hours to complete.  
“We have to find him, Malen.” Zelda said, choking back tears, “He can’t be on his own like this.”  
Zelda gently placed the rock back onto the ground and turned to face Malen, her tears suddenly gone.  
“Are you quite alright, princess?” Malen asked.  
Zelda nodded and smiled vaguely and continued to walk as a subtle signal that the conversation was over. In an attempt to avoid the silence that was to come, Malen tried to change the subject. “I hope you don’t mind me asking,” Malen started, “But your meeting with Lady Impa, what was it regarding?”  
Zelda cast her eyes to the ground forlornly. “I don’t feel I can give you the full details just yet,” She admitted, faltering for a moment, “But Impa made me aware of something very important. That our fight may not yet be over.”  
“How so?” Malen pressed.  
“The ancient evil we sealed away has left Hyrule on its knees. There are some that would take advantage of the kingdom’s weakness.” Zelda explained, “While we celebrate the fall of the Calamity, the Yiga Clan are lurking in the dark, waiting to strike while our guard is down. They seek to inherit Hyrule from us.”  
“Oh.” Malen exclaimed, “How can you be sure?”  
“I’d be lying if I said I knew this to be true, Malen. But when Impa is so sure of something, that’s proof enough for me.”  
Malen seemed to look affected for a moment; long enough for Zelda to notice. “Did I say something to upset you, Malen.”  
“It’s nothing.” She said quickly, “It’s just… the Yiga. I thought we were finished with this.”  
Zelda seemed surprised by this. “Have you encountered them too?”  
“You could say that, yes.” Malen nodded sadly, “They killed my parents. They were both royal guards before the Calamity. They were posted to Gerudo Town on a diplomatic visit, but the Yiga intercepted them. I was so young. I’ll never know them.”  
Zelda stopped and turned to hug Malen, feeling that this was all she could do. “I know well the pain of losing a loved one.” She assured her, “It is something we all must bear, but this does not make the experience any easier.”  
She paused for a moment, a hint of anger channeling through her as Malen warmed to the hug. “We’re going to find them, Malen. We shall never let them take Hyrule.”  
With mutual acknowledgement of each other’s friendship, Zelda and Malen walked forward into the field, continuing their desperate search for Zelda’s oldest friend.

Meanwhile, far below the cliffs of the Flight Range, Revali laid unconscious atop the snow. As he began to regain feeling in his body, all of his senses seemed to attack him at once. The bitter cold lashed at his injured body until he shook uncontrollably, the snow beginning to crystallise in his newly opened eyes. Fighting unconsciousness once again, Revali tried to force himself to stand, but his legs would not respond. In that moment, Revali registered an unfamiliar sound piercing the howling wind as he sat painfully up against the cliff face. The distinct sound of repetitive accordion music drifted through the frozen wind and into Revali’s ears. He squinted into the distance and could just make out the silhouette of another Rito, seemingly unaffected by the cold, playing his accordion while obscured from view.  
“Who’s there?” Revali shouted weakly, “Show yourself!”  
Kass stepped forward, only ceasing to play his instrument when he knew for certain who he had found. “Champion Revali!”  
Revali cleared his throat and attempted to regain his persona. “Yes, it is I! The Rito champion of legend!” He preened, trying his best to ignore the pain he was in, “I know, I know, it’s a great honour.”  
Kass chuckled to himself and seated himself in the snow next to Revali. “It it indeed an honour.”  
Revali sensed the integrity in Kass’ voice and let himself slip, his body trembling from his injuries. “Why are you here?” Revali spat, blinking the snow out of his eyes.  
“Oh, who knows?” Kass answered vaguely, “When I heard you five champions were alive, I knew I had to seek you out. Your tales truly are worthy of song.”  
Revali knew that Kass was playing to his ego, which disheartened him. “Well, you’re better off looking elsewhere.” He retorted, burrowing himself into a ball, “Unless you want to hear a tale of failure.”  
Kass considered for a moment, edging a little closer to Revali. “I would hardly call the tale of the ‘Rito champion of legend’ one of failure!” He smiled.  
“You don’t know the half of it.” Revali said, slumped against the cliff.  
“Let me tell you why I came to you.” Kass started, “Each of you champions are famed throughout Hyrule. I wish to immortalise you in song; a song passed down through the generations so all will know of the great Revali, who helped save us all from the Calamity.”  
Revali, still unconvinced, didn’t allow his gaze to move from the snow beneath him.  
“If you are unwilling to share your story, I understand.” Kass continued, “But I’m desperate to know how you came to be who you are, how you survived the Great Calamity.”  
Revali snorted. “My survival was most certainly not assured by any deed of my own.”  
Kass blinked in surprise, “I never thought the great Revali would be the one to undersell himself.”  
Kass stood slowly, tucking his accordion under one arm and offered the other to the trembling Revali. Revali looked up at Kass in a moment of vulnerability he swore he would never share with anyone.  
“Allow me to offer you my hospitality.” Kass said simply, “Whatever you wish to tell, I would be ever grateful. Though this is your own choice. But please, allow me to take a look at your wounds at the very least.”  
Without a second thought, Revali took Kass’ hand and brought himself to his feet. As the two of them trekked carefully through the snowy landscape, Revali prepared himself in his mind to tell his story as best he could. Perhaps finally telling the truth of his life and deeds rather than fabricating them could clear his mind somewhat, or at least this is what he figured.

Revali knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it’s something he needed to do nonetheless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi ! A couple of things, this fic isn't gonna be kinda sad forever. This Is going to have a happy ending or I wouldn't be writing it bc who wants a sad ending. Also, I haven't forgotten about Urbosa I promise, she's coming back. 
> 
> Chapter 6 is gonna be the first of five chapters dotted throughout the fic dedicated to a single champion and will delve into the backstory of Revali (at least the one I've made up) as told by him. Am v excited to write it and I hope u like it!


	6. A Hundred Years Past: Revali's Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rito Champion Revali tells the tale of his life to the bard Kass, delving into his backstory and his upbringing, whilst also detailing how he managed to survive the Calamity.

Revali blinked hard, surprised not to find the snow falling gently into his eyes. He sat with a warm mug in his hand, though he still shook from the cold that was no longer present. Kass sat opposite him patiently, his accordion ever by his side.   
"I don't quite know where to start." Revali admitted.  
"Start wherever feels right."   
Revali cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair.  
"As you might expect, I wasn't always what you'd call champion material." He muttered, not taking his eyes off the mug in his hands, "I was the youngest of eight. Each of my brothers and sisters were naturally gifted in near enough everything, but every one of them excelled in one thing in particular. The kind of home I lived in, it didn't favour weakness or compassion. When you did something, you did it completely right the first time or you were a failure."  
He worked up the courage to look Kass in the eye. "As you well know, us Rito carry ourselves with a sense of pride and dignity you scarcely find anywhere else. In my family, that pride seemed to have turned toxic. In a lot of ways, I was the runt of the litter. But let me tell you something you don't know, something none of them ever knew. That makes me better."  
He straightened himself out in that moment, puffing out his chest and realising that saying this out loud seemed to make it true in his own mind.  
"That makes me so, so much better. My talents weren't handed to me at birth. My gifts were the product of years of hard work and dedication. Daily training, nightly training, every moment of everyday spent working and working. But not once did I receive even a miniscule amount of praise. Not from my parents, not my siblings, not anyone. But that made me realise that I didn't need their praise."  
His tone turned vicious, though it was unclear who or what his anger was aimed at.  
"I had it in my head, constantly in my head, that I didn't belong in this village. That I had to leave and make my name elsewhere, somewhere more forgiving. I set myself a goal of making it as adventurer across Hyrule, saving the lives of those less competent than I."  
He paused for a moment, the venom in his words rapidly disintegrating.  
"I don't think I was even doing it for myself. Even if I'd known what I truly wanted, I wouldn't know how to go about it. I took a strange sense of comfort that none of my siblings would know either, they were all shipped off to join Hyrule's royal guard. And so that left me, barely an adult but not quite a child, the only one left in my parents' care. And they hated that. They truly, truly hated that. So I stopped going home."  
Kass frowned, though Revali could tell this was not pity. "Where did you sleep?"  
"I didn't most of the time. When I did, under the decking of the Flight Range. I studied the art of the bow, of achieving mastery through a deft combination of flight and archery. I became, through grit and determination, the greatest warrior the Rito has ever seen!"  
Quickly, Revali lost his enthusiasm as he remembered more and more of his life before. "But there was something that eluded me. The power to create an updraft one can use to soar through the air at will. Such an ability would make combat function with relative ease in any circumstance. So this became my ultimate goal. To achieve what only my mother and father before me had achieved, to master the power of flight. It took months for me to even get off the ground when I learned this technique. My parents saw none of it."  
There was a long silence. Revali sighed as he breathed in the sights and sounds of the village, every beam of every house and every plant swaying in the wind ever alive in his mind. "They died. Not in combat, the way they would've wished. They simply died in their sleep barely ten minutes apart from one another. I suppose they had just given up. They left me with nothing."  
Kass could not help but feel a great deal of sympathy for him. Of course, Revali knew this.  
"So now you see. I never needed them. I never needed their support or their gifts or their praise, everything I became is because of me. My work, my skills, all the results of my dedication. Nevertheless, the state Princess Zelda found me in was not one of stability. She approached me with her offer of becoming a champion after she heard I was the last of my famous family line. I could see myself scoffing at her, telling her I would never waste my time with such a menial support task. But then I saw the glint of desperation in her eye. She masked that potent guilt and anxiety so, so well with a smile that could melt the heart of any. She reflected my own mind in more ways than I'd like to admit. So I couldn't bring myself to say no. But oh, how humiliating it was to play second fiddle to that pathetic little Hylian!"  
Revali scowled at the memory, though this faded when he unwittingly remembered all of the odd kindness Link had shown towards him. "I hated him. And it frustrated me constantly that he never seemed to hate me back. Worse still, he seemed to like me! He thought he could worm his way into the compassion of my heart just by being 'nice'. Although, I suppose 100 years may have mellowed my hatred ever so slightly."  
Revali at last relaxed in his chair. He was satisfied with his tale.  
"If you don't mind me asking," Kass started, "Now I know your journey to becoming a champion, how did you survive the Great Calamity?"  
"As I mentioned previously, it was through no deed of my own," Revali repeated, "We were each ready to unleash our strike upon Ganon when the time was right. All I truly remember of what happened after I boarded Medoh that day was that everything turned a deep shade of red. Like the world was bleeding. And then I saw that thing, some awful extension of Ganon that embodied every one of my fears. It excelled in every way. And suddenly, my years of hard work seemed to pale in comparison with the unmatched prowess of the beast in front of me. Perhaps I would've stood a chance had I just not let myself wallow in self-pity. I barely had the resolve to defend myself against his vicious attacks. I came so, so close to death. It felt much the same as falling into a deep sleep you didn't know you needed. My body was cold and numb. The snow from the mountaintops above the beast fell into my eyes."  
He blinked hard once again, as if reliving this memory in real time.  
"Then I saw a flash of bright blue. A string of glowing chains wrapping themselves around my wounded body. The last thing I remember was being pulled slowly away into the beast, before being abruptly greeted by the bewildered-looking Link 100 years on. And just as I suspected, the world had moved on. My family's name no longer carried any weight. Hyrule had all but forgotten the tales of the champions."  
"That's why I'm here." Kass assured him, "I wish to tell your stories far and wide. I want everyone in Hyrule to know of your deeds."  
"Why are you doing this?"  
"Because telling stories is what I do. I retell legends in the form of song. It's my life's calling." Kass smiled, "And I truly hope that one day, you find yours."  
Revali placed the now empty mug beside him and stood from the chair, his limbs aching. He cleared his mind of all doubt and irrational thought as the morning sun slowly rose over Rito Village.  
"Thank you for sharing your story with me, Champion Revali." Kass said sincerely, "I truly appreciate it."  
Revali blinked as Hyrule entered a new day. He now knew what he had to do.   
"No," Revali said, "Thank you."  
And with that, Revali flapped his wings and took off gracefully into the air, knowing in his mind he was finally free.


	7. A Fragmented Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda and Malen pay a visit to Gerudo Town to enlist the help of Urbosa in finding Link. Just as their journey's end seems to be in sight, a shocking revelation tears apart what would've been a happy reunion.

"Captain Urbosa!" came the voice of a Gerudo messenger from outside of Urbosa's quarters, "A letter for you!"  
Urbosa was suddenly snapped out of her trance of reading back over her diary. "You may enter."  
Immediately upon viewing the letter, Urbosa knew that Daruk was the author. Waiting until the courier had promptly left, Urbosa carefully attempted to open the letter, before realising Daruk had sealed the letter with molten rock and had to rip it open from the bottom. 

Urbosa,

Congrations on your recent promotion to Gerudo guard captain! Hylia knows you're the best woman for the job!

I wanted to tell you about a really weird thing that happened the other day. These couple of Goron pipsqueaks I was working with turned out to be part of that Yeega Clan! I thought they were only a problem on your side of the fence. Just keep your eyes open, these slippery Yeega have some big master plan up their sleeves.

Yours sincrley,  
Daruk!

Urbosa smiled to herself. She wasn't sure why, as the purpose of Daruk's letter was certainly nothing to smile about, but the fact that someone had taken the time to write to her lifted her spirits somewhat. For a short while after the Calamity, Urbosa had convinced herself that she was completely okay in her own company, graciously declining Riju's offer of the position of chief in favour of taking some time for herself. However, it wasn't long before she became bored of not having a daily purpose and soon enlisted as captain of the Gerudo guard. Her smile faded as she walked over to her window and stared out over the horizon, knowing that the Yiga Clan had made their home just past the desert storm.  
"I thought your filth had all been dealt with." She said to herself, "Whatever plan you have to take Hyrule while its still on its knees, I will not stand for it."  
"Who are you talking to, Urbosa?"  
She quickly turned to see the princess and another figure she didn't recognise standing in the doorway. Zelda smiled, amused at the fact she'd caught Urbosa talking to herself.  
"Zelda, my little bird!" Urbosa beamed, hugging her tightly as she approached, "I'm overjoyed to see you again."  
Zelda felt warm and happy in Urbosa's embrace and let herself forget her troubles for just a moment. "As am I, Urbosa."  
Urbosa eyed Zelda's companion suspiciously. Malen was stood sheepishly just outside of the room, her eyes cast towards the floor. "And who might this be?"  
"Oh, this is Captain Malen!" Zelda smiled, "She graciously agreed to help me find Link. She has accompanied me from Kakariko Village."  
Urbosa acknowledged Malen, who felt a little more comfortable stepping into the room now she was part of the conversation. "Find him?" Urbosa frowned, "Is Link missing?"  
"I'm afraid so." Zelda said, "I met with Impa in the village, but Link wasn't permitted to enter. The guards foolishly sent him away. I fear in his current condition he may not be strong enough to fend off the dangers of the wilds."  
"Hmm, I see." Urbosa said, facing off into the distance for a moment, "This is troubling indeed. Especially with the Yiga Clan stirring in the shadows. Just when we thought the battle was finally over..."  
Urbosa suddenly snapped back into reality. "I'm afraid there's very little I can offer you, little bird." She explained sadly, "The chief is being especially tough on our troops as of late and I fear I will not be granted leave to assist you."  
Zelda noticed that Urbosa seemed to almost look scared, which worried her greatly. "Urbosa, is there something you're not telling me?"  
Urbosa once again wrapped Zelda into a warm embrace. "Just promise me you'll stay safe out there."  
"I promise." Zelda smiled, "But I have to bring him home."  
Urbosa pulled away without another word as Zelda and Malen brushed past Riju on their way out of Urbosa's quarters.  
"Good evening, chief Riju." Urbosa greeted respectfully, "Might I request a small detachment of guards be sent to assist the princess in her search for Link?"  
Riju cocked her head to the side, seeming confused. "I need you to lead our troop in a diplomatic visit to the Yiga Hideout." Riju said abruptly, "They've reached out to us and hope to form an alliance."  
Urbosa noticed that Riju entirely ignored her question, but let this go for now. "An alliance? With the Yiga?" Urbosa cried in outrage, "With all due respect, what kind of a plan is that?"  
"We are weak alone, Captain." Riju explained, staring Urbosa intently in the eye, "Hyrule is on its knees. In this crucial time, it's important to build bridges rather than burn them. Now go about your duties."  
As Riju swiftly turned to leave, Urbosa's suspicions were quickly confirmed as a red glint danced through the young chief's eyes for a brief second. The gravity of the situation had only just become clear to her.

"Captain Malen?" Zelda asked timidly as the two finally approached the Gerudo Canyon, "Do you feel as if we are being followed?"  
The pair huddled together for a moment, scanning the darkness surrounding them for unwanted company. For better or for worse, neither could find anything.  
"This makes me uneasy." Zelda admitted, "I'd rather not stay here longer than necessary."  
"We will be as fast as we can, princess." Malen assured her, "I feel we are drawing nearer to him."  
There was a silence as the two of them adjusted to the growing darkness and Zelda tried her very best to internally put her fears to rest.  
"I don't mean to pry," Malen started, "But you seem attached to Link in a way I can't quite fathom. What is the nature of your relationship?"  
Zelda ignored how odd of a question this was to ask suddenly, as she felt no reason to keep secrets from Malen. She considered for a moment, wondering if she even knew the answer to this herself. "We've known each other for such a long time, I don't think there's truly a way to define it." She muttered, staring at the floor as they walked, "Though I don't believe it's anything more than platonic if that's what you're asking. Link has eyes for another." Zelda giggled to herself. "He thinks he's so subtle and sneaky about it all, but you can tell. Everytime he looks at her, you can tell. Link adores Mipha completely. There's no denying it."  
Zelda seemed to return herself to the conversation, looking over at Malen. "Neither of them seem to be able to figure each other out. It's a lot simpler than they're making it out to be."  
"Sounds like they just need a bit of a push." Malen agreed.  
"I don't know what they need." Zelda laughed, "They're both convinced the other would never see them that way. It's almost sad really."  
A sudden, deafeningly loud bang lurched the two of them forward and reminded them of the task at hand. Zelda glanced to the left just long enough to catch a small flash of bright blue energy in her peripheral vision. She gasped aloud, realising that could only be one thing.  
"What is it?" Malen asked, still recovering from the shock of the explosion.  
Zelda ran over to the cliff face beside them with Malen trailing behind her, quickly realising there was a large hole leading to an alcove. As the smoke cleared from the unexplained explosion, there sat Link around a dying fire, clutching his sword with his head in his hands.  
"Link!" Zelda cried out, overjoyed, "Oh thank goodness I've found you!"  
Link jerked his head up and clocked the two of them standing at the entrance of the cave. Instinctively, he brandished his sword towards them, his face flushed with anger. Zelda's relieved smile quickly faded.  
"Link?" She asked, fear laced in her voice, "What's wrong? What are you doing?"  
With a rousing battle cry, Link charged forward and raised his arm to strike. Zelda yelped, confused beyond measure, expecting this to somehow be her end. Instead, as she scrunched her eyes shut, she heard the clash of metal, as if Link's strike had been parried by another weapon. Zelda opened her eyes, her curiosity overwhelming her fear, and saw what she had feared. Link's sword was resting shakily in the crevice of the weapon brandished by Malen, a weapon Zelda didn't know she carried, which bared all the hallmarks of the Yiga.  
"Malen.." Zelda gasped, backing slowly into the corner.  
Malen dropped her disguise to reveal her Yiga Clan armour and pushed back against Link's strike, sending him hurtling backwards into the wall. It was clear as Link winced in pain that his condition had worsened since Zelda had seen him.  
"Link, be careful!" She yelled breathlessly, suddenly becoming aware of several figures shuffling around outside the cave.   
Losing any sense of technique, Link desperately hacked away at Malen's scythe until she knocked him to his knees with enough force to launch his sword across the room. Several other Yiga members materialised within the cave, their weapons drawn. Link and Zelda quickly realised the futility of continuing to fight and silently surrendered.  
"I knew my patience would be justly rewarded." Malen chuckled, grinning sadistically beneath her mask, "Now I can say I was responsible for the capture of both the Hero of Hyrule and the realm's precious princess."  
"Malen, you worthless traitor!" Zelda screamed, struggling to escape the grasp of the Yiga footsoldiers.  
Malen simply cocked her head to the side, indicating to the soldiers to take them. As everyone present in the cave disappeared in a cloud of red smoke, none were aware of another face peering from the shadows, watching all that had just occurred. 

Collectively, across the realm, each of the champions closed their eyes and made a vow that they would find each other and this time, never leave each other behind again. For their own sakes and for Hyrule's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ! I've recently become v ill so chapter updates might be a lil slower for a while but I v much hope you're still enjoying this ! Just to let u know, because it's chridmas soon, I'm gonna be putting up a one chapter separate fic in a couple of weeks of all the botw eggs doing secret santa and there's gonna be some cUTE HAPPY CONTENT so get ready. Thanks for reading!


	8. Two Prisons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link, Zelda, Mipha and Sidon resent their imprisonment in opposite corners of the realm, though all carry the hope that things may very soon change for the better.

When Link finally awoke, his back felt stiff and painful from hours being strewn across the hard stone floor. As the dimly lit room steadily came into focus, he saw Zelda rattling the bars of their cage, screaming to be let out. It was clear where they'd been taken from the various banners placed sporadically throughout the room. Link quickly tried his best to bring himself to his feet, but the pain was much more severe than he'd expected. He yet out a yelp as he crashed back down to the floor. Zelda swivelled around, her eyes widening as she saw Link try and fail to lift himself up.  
"Link, don't try and stand up!" She said firmly, running over to his side.  
Link looked up at her, a glint of terror shining in his eyes. Zelda placed her hand on his arm at the sight of him shaking uncontrollably. For a moment, it seemed as if Link knew nothing but fear.  
"Oh, Link." Zelda sighed, bringing him into an awkward embrace, "We were so, so worried. Where were you?"  
Link carefully pulled a crumpled letter from his pocket and handed it to her. Zelda could see this was clearly Mipha’s handwriting.  
"Link," Zelda started, surprised that Link would be showing her this, "Are you sure you want me to read this?"  
Link nodded his head desperately, opening the letter in his shaking hand.

My dear Link,

I know how worried you must be. For the longest time, I could barely get myself to sleep at night, thinking of you wandering the harsh wilderness all on your own. But please, put your mind at rest. While we are trapped here in Zora's Domain, Sidon and I are not in any danger. While we wish we could leave to see you again, I have to hope that my word will be enough.

Stay safe, Link. If not for yourself then for me.

Yours,  
Mipha

Zelda despaired, dropping the letter to the ground.  
"Poor Mipha." Zelda whispered, "What does she mean she's trapped? Zora's Domain is her home."  
Link gestured to the Yiga banner on the wall behind them, his thoughts firm in why King Dorephan had acted in the way he did.  
"You mean the Yiga have control of Zora's Domain?" Zelda frowned, "This is indeed troubling."  
She sat on the floor, leaning against Link's back. She noticed that Link's shaking had calmed. Her mind was racing; so much had occurred in the last week, even without including their still very recent clash with Ganon. She wondered in her mind whether they would ever be at peace.  
"Oh, damn it all!" Zelda cursed, slamming the ground with her fist, "I thought I had it all figured out. I thought we were going to find you and take you home and live with our friends and finally be happy. I put too much faith in the idea that everything was immediately going to be perfect again."  
Link let his head rest upon Zelda's shoulder, the exhaustion of the past week finally settling in. A brief smile danced across his face as he took comfort in the presence of his dear friend.  
"I did miss you terribly, you know." Zelda smiled, "It all felt a little empty without you around. And I know the others miss you too."  
Link opened his eyes, clearly surprised by this. Zelda giggled at his confusion, as she always did.  
"Of course we missed you! You were sort of the glue keeping us all together." Zelda laughed, "Though now we've all sort of split apart. And look where that's gotten us."  
Zelda averted her eyes from staring forward, not letting herself take in her surroundings for fear of worsening her growing anxiety. "Link." She muttered, the terror present in her voice the day Ganon was defeated now returning, "Are we going to be okay?"  
Link pulled himself up and placed his hands on the princess' shoulders. He nodded his head reassuringly, offering her a smile that seemed cautiously optimistic. But more than anything, his smile was the result of Link being glad to see a friendly face.  
"Link, I know you're worried about her." Zelda said, seeing through Link's weak smile, "But once we get out of this, we're going to save her, I promise you."  
This seemed to put Link at ease for just a moment. He took in a deep breath, exhaling cool jets of air as the temperature within the cavern seemed to drop by the minute. An abrupt rattle on the outside of their cage lurched them out of their conversation.  
"I just wanted to thank you for being so helpful." Came the muffled voice of Malen, "I didn't think it would be easy to trap both of you in one fell swoop, but I suppose I overestimated you in the end."  
"I have nothing to say to you, Malen." Zelda spat, keeping her gaze firmly to the ground.  
"I am not Malen" She stated, "I am Lieutenant Nelam. And you would do well to treat me with respect."  
She simply stood by the cage for a few moments, glaring silently at the two Hylians from within the cage as if soaking up their fear. She breathed deeply and began to chuckle to herself, skulking away into the shadows.  
Once again, Zelda's temper rose and she slammed into the ground with her hands, though this time the pain made her shout a second time.  
"I don't know how much more of this I can take." She seethed, "We're going to think of a way out of here."

At the same time, Sidon found himself wandering aimlessly along the bridges of his homeland for countless hours since Link's absence. He only finally came to a stop when he spotted Mipha seated on the very edge of the Domain, dipping her feet tentatively into the water as the new moon shone brightly onto the shimmering lake. Sidon carefully walked towards her, though she did not turn to face him. It concerned him that Mipha had not uttered a word since Link departed.  
"Mipha?" Sidon started nervously.  
No answer.  
"Mipha, please." Sidon cried, "Please say something!"  
Again, Mipha remained silent.  
Sidon sat himself down beside her and looked at her intently, not knowing how else to approach her. Mipha sensed her brother's sadness and a pang of guilt suddenly hit her.  
"We slept for 100 years and finally defeated an ancient, eternal evil, only to be imprisoned here by Father." Mipha lamented, "It just doesn't seem fair."  
Sidon sighed, dipping his feet in the water next to Mipha. They both stared up at the gigantic waterfall that looked over them, wishing together to swim away until they no longer could. Impulsively, Sidon slowly pushed himself into the water, floating casually on his back and kicking up water onto the platform.  
"We can still swim!" Sidon smiled, trying his best to radiate enough happiness for Mipha as well as himself.  
Mipha smiled thinly, making small movements with her feet to mirror Sidon's.  
"What's that in your hands?" Sidon asked, noticing that Mipha seemed to be clasping her hands around something. She suddenly seemed rather tense, reluctantly opening her hands to reveal a crudely made doll adorned with jewels and button eyes.  
"What's that?" Sidon laughed.  
Mipha rolled her eyes, putting the doll aside and finally allowing herself to join Sidon in the shining river.  
"Link made it." She said softly, "I thought I'd try and teach him some crafts, he's always been a bit useless at trying to make things, bless his heart. That was the best he could do. And I thought it was perfect, so he let me keep it."  
"I wish he was here." Sidon sighed, leaning his head against the crystal platform he jumped from, "Mostly for your sake, but I always miss him when he's gone."  
Mipha smiled, but it wasn't clear what for. "He'll come back to us. I know he will."  
Mipha's heart and mind was set. She knew Link would return no matter what and she didn't even care when. The knowledge of his return set her at ease long enough to splash some water into Sidon's face and swim away, giggling to herself. The two downtrodden Zora laughed and played the night away, pushing away the deadly silence of the city with merriment. In their minds, they both dreamed freely of a happier time, where they could be alive, free and in the company of their friends. And Mipha dreamed most of all that Link would return to Zora's Domain, though this time to return for her.


	9. The Gate of Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Link and Zelda are shown the unbridled power of the unstable Yiga Clan, an unexpected ally appears from the shadows.

After several dismal hours alone in the Yiga Hideout, with only the sounds of the whistling wind and their own shaky breaths to keep them company, Link and Zelda finally drifted into sleep. Their dreams were fraught with darkness that seemed even deeper than the cave they were trapped within, most notably Link, who could not take his mind off the monstrosity that almost ended his life not long ago. The sun rose only a few hours after the two had fallen asleep on one another, though neither knew this as the cave ceiling blocked out all sign of sunlight. They were both abruptly woken by the deafening rattle of their ancient cage finally opening. As Link rubbed his eyes to stop them from sending him back into an exhaustion-induced coma, two Yiga guards grabbed him roughly by the arms.   
“Let go of me!” Zelda slurred angrily, barely awake, “Where are you taking us?”  
Predictably, none of the guards gave them a coherent answer and simply continued to drag them out of their cell and through the winding tunnels of the cave. Link drifted in and out of consciousness during this, his body limp and his head almost dragging against the damp stone floor. Link knew they had come to a stop when the guards threw them into a huge circular chamber, landing them on top of a cracked stone disc in the room’s centre. A shaft of sunlight shot through a gap in the ceiling, revealing an array of Yiga adorned banners scattered around the room. When Link and Zelda gathered their senses, they huddled close together and attempted to forget the pain of their wounds. As they looked up, they finally noticed Lieutenant Nelam standing on a podium, looming over them.  
“What do you want with us?” Zelda asked with as much confidence as she could muster.  
“The Master wants you alive.” Nelam said vaguely, “Though very soon, you’ll wish you weren’t.”  
One of the Yiga members standing near her jumped and shook his head rapidly. “You weren’t supposed to tell them Master Kohga is still alive!”  
Nelam shifted her gaze between the other Yiga and the princess, a look of embarrassment assumedly hidden beneath her mask. “Forget you heard any of that!”  
“What, that Master Kohga is still alive?”  
“Shh!” Nelam insisted, “Don’t say his name out loud!”  
Link and Zelda smirked at each other, relishing in the fact that for once they seemed to have the upper hand.  
“Master Kohga!” Zelda yelled, laughing in spite of her overwhelming fear. A deep rumble shocked them out of their laughter and everybody in the chamber fell into silence. A large, misshapen stone frame appeared in front of the podium, sparking strange purple energy from its jagged corners. After a few moments, the energy began to swirl rapidly into the shape’s centre before pulsing out into a discoloured, grotesque gate. Link stared in awe at the dizzying vortex in front of him, the distant yelling and vague whispering emanating from it reminding him of his terrible dreams.  
“THIS is what the master had planned for you, little Hylians!” Nelam screeched over the deafening noise of the portal, “An eternity trapped within your own minds!”  
In the chaos, Zelda glanced to the side and managed to see a large map flapping in the strong wind, though the parchment remained still enough for her to make out the faces of the four village elders plastered across the map. The terrible truth dawned on her when she realised that all but Kaneli of Rito Village had been marked off with crude red crosses, leaving Kaneli with an uneven black circle around his picture. Her attention was quickly snapped back to the glowing monstrosity in front of them, as Nelam’s scathing laugh pierced through the voices in the portal. Instinctively, Zelda and Link covered their ears and closed their eyes, curling up into a ball inwardly and trying their best to escape the imminent danger at least within their minds. Suddenly, what sounded like the smashing of glass echoed around the cave and all lights were quickly extinguished. Nelam was stopped dead in her tracks. As if out of nowhere, a shadowy group of figures began to surround the podium, each taking down Yiga after Yiga with ease until the most imposing figure seemed to come to a stop next to Nelam. Despite her best efforts, Nelam instinctively backed away in fear.  
“I knew you were a traitor the moment I laid eyes on you.” Came a stern voice from the front of the room, as the figure unsheathed a shining blade and slashed at a weak point in the stone frame, sending the entire structure crashing down to the ground. Nelam broke away from the podium and sprinted out of the room in a panicked frenzy, her snatched breaths eventually becoming a distant echo. Through the broken stone frame, the figure finally stepped into view.  
“Urbosa!” Zelda cried, ignoring her injuries to run over and tackle her saviour without thinking.  
Urbosa laughed and held Zelda there for a moment, “I’m so happy you’re finally safe, little bird.”  
Link joined Zelda and Urbosa by the podium to offer his thanks, though he was visibly limping and once again felt himself fading.  
“Come.” Urbosa said, her eyes fixed on the distant exit to the cavern, “We must leave immediately.”  
Urbosa took Link and Zelda by the hands and began running at an almost inhuman speed to escape the cave. They were both thankful to finally see the desert sun beating down on the sand.

Gerudo Town, while the two Hylians didn’t often visit, suddenly felt like a haven to them. Urbosa had given them both a cup of tea and made them sit down in her room, clearly still not quite convinced they were safe.  
“Urbosa, how did you find us?” Zelda asked, a puzzled look on her face as she gulped down the tea in her hand.  
“I was so, so worried.” Urbosa mumbled, seemingly in a world of her own, “Riju sent me on a ‘diplomatic visit’ to the Yiga Hideout. Naturally, I expected an ambush.”  
“Riju sent you…” Zelda started, trailing off as she remembered what she had seen in the cave, “Urbosa, Riju is not herself.”  
“That much I had gathered.”  
Link squinted his eyes shut to remember what he had also seen, grabbing a nearby roll of parchment to draw what he recalled. Urbosa stood over him when he had finished, focussing on the circle around the Rito Village elder on the sketch of the map.  
“Urbosa, I think the village elders have been replaced with Yiga doubles.” Zelda sighed.  
“So do I” She nodded, “Which means we need to be on our guard. We cannot trust anyone. If the Yiga have taken over our cities, it certainly isn’t a stretch to think they could disguise themselves as absolutely anyone.”  
“It appears we very suddenly have a lot to do.” Zelda said, standing to stretch her stiffened legs.  
Link stood after her, gesturing to the letter in his pocket to remind her of Mipha.  
“We must rescue Mipha and Sidon from Zora’s Domain.” Zelda said, “If the king is in fact a Yiga double, there’s no telling what kind of danger they’re in.”  
Link shot a terrified glance at Zelda, though she didn’t see this.  
“If they’re being held captive there, this must be a priority.” Urbosa agreed, continuing to pace around the room, “Though we must think about setting a course for Rito Village. I can’t imagine it’ll be long before they attempt to replace the final village elder.”  
The three of them looked at each other, frozen in their tracks as they realised they had two crucial tasks to manage simultaneously.  
“There are three of us.” Zelda pointed out, “We can’t separate and spread ourselves so thinly, we would surely fail.”  
Urbosa smiled widely, thinking of what Link and Zelda had already realised. “Then I think it’s about time the champions of Hyrule reunited, don’t you think?”  
Link and Zelda couldn’t help but share in Urbosa’s misplaced moment of joy, leaving Zelda pleasantly surprised that Link seemed to be able to smile again.  
“And if we can keep back an ancient, malevolent demon of centuries past.” Urbosa began, gathering together her weapons, “I think we can certainly dispense with a group of fanatics in costumes.”  
Link and Zelda were suddenly invigorated. Now with a purpose, Link leapt into action and began to gather what little he had left, happy to finally be in the company of good friends.


	10. Wonder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daruk and Revali reunite atop Death Mountain, while Urbosa encounters an unusual stranger outside Gerudo Town's walls.

The whole of Goron City had seen their beloved champion Daruk leave in the early hours of the evening to begin a long and slow ascent to the summit of Death Mountain. Eventually, the city lost interest and moved on with their day as Daruk was lost from sight. Proudly, Daruk perched himself atop one of the volcano’s peaks and pulled a sizable rock roast out of one of his famously deep pockets. While greedily chowing down on his hunk of volcanic rock, he once again pulled out the damaged photo of his friends he always kept on his person. But this time, Daruk didn’t do this to fuel his sorrow, but instead to fondly recall the time he spent with the people he saved the realm with. He chuckled at nothing in particular as he watched the sun gently rise over Hyrule, finishing the last of his molten snack. Enjoying the little things, Daruk had decided, was now to be his number one priority.  
“Pops!” A frantic voice yelled from behind him.  
Daruk saw nothing but the mountain when he turned, but could make out the faint panting of someone clambering up the mountain. Eventually, a bright red Yunobo barely stumbled up onto the peak Daruk was sitting on. “Pops!” He repeated, breathing loudly, “Is everything okay?”  
Daruk chuckled again and pulled Yunobo up next to him, “I’m fine, little guy, don’t you worry!”  
“Oh, okay. It’s just you left so late and you never come up here!”  
“I know!” Daruk smiled, “But I woke up this morning and decided I wanted to see Hyrule from way up high. So I did!”  
Yunobo sighed happily, his mind finally at ease.  
“Besides, you came up here at the perfect time!” Daruk remembered, “I had a whole other rock roast here and nobody to share it with!”  
Yunobo gasped and stared excitedly at the mound of rock Daruk pulled from another impossibly deep pocket. “Thanks, Pops!” He grinned, eagerly beginning to munch the edges of the rock.  
A sudden flapping noise coming from beneath the peak interrupted Yunobo’s breakfast and both Gorons peered cautiously over the edge confusedly. With an unnecessary flourish, Revali shot up into their view, his wings moving gracefully in the air. He wore an ill-fitting flamebreaker helmet that was clearly much too heavy for him and obscured most of his face.   
“Greetings, Daruk.” Revali said, bowing confidently in midair, “I expect you're overjoyed to see me again.”  
“Hey, it's bird boy!” Daruk said cheerfully, “Good to see you buddy!”  
Revali visibly shuddered under his helmet at Daruk’s nickname for him. Though he forgot all about this when he noticed Yunobo clearly suppressing a laugh.  
“What's so funny?” Revali demanded.  
“Um, it's nothing.” Yunobo insisted unconvincingly, still trying his hardest to stay composed, “It’s just your helmet. It's a little.. big.”  
Yunobo couldn't hold back anymore and began rolling around the peak laughing heartily, prompting Daruk to join in almost instantly. Revali tried his very best to ignore this and readjusted his helmet as best he could.  
“If you're quite finished.” Revali said sternly, even though they clearly weren’t, “I wanted to let you know that I've had some time to think things over and I'm much better now. I'm ready to celebrate with you all at last!”  
Daruk assumed that Revali looked triumphant, but could barely even see his beak. “Oh, we've got some new problems now.” He said, scratching his head with a puzzled look on his face, “Haven't you heard?”  
Revali fell silent as Daruk pulled a letter out from underneath him. “This is from Urbosa.” He explained, gesturing to the letter in his hand, “Those slippery Yigas have taken over all the cities and we’ve gotta stop them from getting Rito Village too! Poor Mipha’s trapped over in the Zora’s place.”  
“Hmph.” Revali sighed, considering for a moment, “It seems Hyrule is once again in need of my superior skills.”  
“We're s'posed to meet the others near Hyrule Castle.” Daruk said, “I was gonna set off tomorrow, but since you're here, we might as well hit the road!”  
Revali nodded in agreement and Daruk stood, rubbing Yunobo’s head affectionately as he began to descend the mountain. Nervously, Yunobo argued inwardly with himself on what to do.  
“Wait!” He blurted out, “This seems important, like really important, but you've gotta let me help too!”  
Revali sighed deeply and glared over at Yunobo, unable to shake the feeling that he would only serve to slow them down. Daruk, however, grinned from ear to ear when he heard this. “Of course you can come, little guy!” He chuckled, slapping Yunobo’s back heartily, “We could use all the help we can get!”  
“You cannot be serious.” Revali groaned, despair laced in his voice.  
“Oh come on!” Daruk frowned, “Look at the little guy! He only wants to help!”  
“Just promise me he won't get in the way.” Revali said, sighing deeply.  
“I promise!” Yunobo retorted excitedly, “I won't let you down Mr. Bird Boy!”  
“My name is Revali!”   
Once again, Goron City became aware of Daruk, this time with Revali and Yunobo, loudly bickering amongst themselves as they quickly made their way down the mountain. As the sun began to set over Hyrule, a pair of glowing red eyes were fixed upon the three misfits as they left Goron City. The village elder, Bludo, stared out of his window, unmoving, cataloguing their every move.

In the heart of Gerudo Town, deep into the night, Urbosa carefully crept out of her room so as to not wake the sleeping Link and Zelda in her room. They had both quickly drifted off to sleep on her own bed after packing their things, but Urbosa had no intention of waking them. Walking on the sand covered streets in the dead of night felt altogether different, the usual bustle of the marketplace turned to dead silence. She scanned every inch of her town with bright eyes, as if still surveying it for the very first time. Urbosa never quite let go of that sense of wonder she carried with her as a child, making sure to take every opportunity to take a step back and appreciate what was in front of her. However, her solitude was short-lived. She acknowledged unfamiliar sound in the distance that permeated her thoughts, bringing her back into reality. In the blink of an eye, that wonder was once again gone. The street was now just a street. The sound continued, drawing Urbosa closer and closer. She gripped tightly onto her scimitar, though she didn't register that she had. Eventually, she had left the town itself and was facing out into the harsh, endless desert surrounding her.  
"Show yourself." She demanded, pulling her scimitar out of its sheath ever so slightly. Momentarily, she recognised the sound that was plaguing her. An accordion, repetitively playing the same tune over and over. She glanced to her right to see a cheerful looking Rito sat against the town walls, playing his accordion as if all was right with the world. He only looked over at Urbosa once she had noticed him.  
"Good evening, Champion Urbosa." Kass greeted, smiling politely whilst still playing his instrument.  
Caught off guard by the pleasantness of the stranger, she loosened her grip on her weapon. "And to you." She nodded, allowing herself to breathe a little deeper, "What are you doing out this time of night?"  
"Nothing nefarious if that's what you're suggesting." Kass chuckled, looking off into the distance once again, "Just taking in the view. The desert is always most beautiful in the quiet of the night."  
She joined him in once again staring out into the horizon, gazing at the sand dunes dancing in the cold desert wind. "Yes." She muttered under her breath. Shaking off her tired musings once again, she focussed her attention on Kass. "How do you know me?"  
"How wouldn't I know you?" Kass retorted, placing his accordion down next to him, "All of Hyrule should know of your bravery."  
Urbosa, seeming to warm to Kass' company, sat comfortably beside him and let herself rest. "It's just that I've not heard anybody call me champion in a very long time. It's strange."  
"If I may be so bold," Kass began, changing the subject abruptly, "It's not often I find myself in the company of the champions of old. I wish to hear your tale."  
"My tale?" Urbosa asked incredulously.  
"Indeed." Kass said, a pleasant smile never leaving his face, "I wish to immortalise you champions in song. But to do that, I would ask you tell me your story. What you were before, how you survived your brush with the Calamity. Hyrule needs to know, it just doesn't understand that yet."  
Kass turned his head back toward the desert and once again began playing his instrument. The melody was instantly recognisable to Urbosa; an ancient Gerudo song her own mother had played to her on several occasions. This struck a chord with her. Urbosa quickly made a decision.  
"Ignoring that you are a stranger to me," Urbosa said suspiciously, "I don't suppose it matters. I will tell you my story, if you truly wish to hear it. Perhaps a stranger's ear is the best of all to impart the secrets of your past."  
"This is true." Kass agreed, "Or at least I find this to be the case."  
The moon rose high above them, shining a dull white light down upon them and brightening the sand until it began to resemble particles of glitter.  
"Please," Kass implored her, "Take all the time you need."


	11. A Hundred Years Past: Urbosa's Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Urbosa tells her story to the bard Kass, quickly realising how stuck she is on her life before. As she relives every perilous encounter in her mind, she hopes she can one day find the strength to move forward.

Urbosa scoured her mind for every moment of her past that she deemed worthy to retell. Much like she had expected, she didn’t know where to start. She noticed Kass wasn’t even looking at her, though his face told her that he was listening intently, waiting patiently for her story to begin.  
“I apologise for seeming so hostile before.” She lamented, “For some reason, it still hasn’t quite registered that people seem to know who I am. I was rather a lonely child. No brothers or sisters, no family apart from my wonderful mother.”  
A smile grew onto her face, the memory of her dear mother blossoming into uncontrollable joy. “I’ll never quite understand how she managed to balance being the chief of Gerudo Town and spending almost every moment by my side, teaching me how to survive. How to be happy in myself, even from that very delicate age. Much of what I know now is still all thanks to her.”  
She knew what she had to say next, though this didn’t detract from the happiness she felt at knowing her mother. “She was a sickly woman, bless her soul. She was taken from this world all too soon. I was six years old. And all of a sudden, everything turned to chaos. Gerudo Town was without a leader and I without a mother. The people looked desperately for a new heir, because of course I was much too young to take on my mother’s role.”  
Urbosa’s face turned rapidly to quiet resentment, which peaked Kass’ curiosity. “That was when my distant aunt arrived. I had never seen her in my life, but she was well known in the town as my mother’s less than pleasant sister. Her claim to the position of chief was indisputable. She was inaugurated the same day she arrived. As my new guardian, I quickly realised she held no attachment to me. She cast me out of the palace. The remainder of my childhood was spent very much within my own company, the town doing its best to help me when it could. Sending scraps of food my way, healing my ills with spare medicine. My people showed me many kindnesses when I was at my most vulnerable.”  
“If your aunt became chief before you could,” Kass said, “How did the role eventually fall to you?”  
A smile returned to Urbosa, though Kass knew this wasn’t a fond smile, but rather one with a hint of vengeance.  
“It was only when I turned sixteen that I realised there had been a change. The town suddenly seemed to need me more than I needed it. I could scavenge for myself and had trained myself sufficiently to be able to cure my own ills. But then, the town seemed to crumble around me. The people who had once taken care of me began to look weary and thin. Whispers on the street spoke of a chief who didn’t care, who didn’t tend to her duties. So I did what I knew I had to do. Everything I could.”  
She sat up, her mind now entirely cast back to her life before. “I helped them to grow their food, I taught them how to heal their loved ones. Instances of crime I handled as best I could now that the city guard had stopped caring. Overtime, the people began to look to me instead. It was only then that our apathetic chief seemed to notice what was happening beneath her. My deeds throughout the town had served to undermine her authority. And I knew she wasn’t going to let that stand. I didn’t think she’d go to quite the lengths that she did however.”  
“What did she do?” Kass asked, politely prompting her to continue.  
“She waited until I was fast asleep under one of the arches on the street. Then she sent her guards to slaughter me.”  
The shock on Kass’ face was potent, though Urbosa remained unaffected.  
“Such raw fear, the rush of pure adrenaline.” She recalled, “It sparked something within me. Something my mother had alluded to in our short time together, but never fully explained. Somehow, I channeled the adrenaline coursing within me into a huge bolt of lightning that wounded the guards beyond measure. They fled. I’d never felt so alive than I did in that moment. The people who had seen this and gathered around me remembered something. That the urchin of Gerudo Town has always been their heir to the role of chief.”  
Urbosa turned to Kass once again, her face alive with a youthful glow. “They ousted her. A one day rebellion. I never saw her again.”  
“What do you think happened to her?”  
“I don’t think it’s worth the time to think about.” She said simply, allowing herself a moment to breathe. She relaxed once again against the wall, not caring about the rough texture of the sand against her back.  
“By the time I was crowned chief, the Gerudo had become an isolated people,” She explained, “So my first priority was to build alliances with others, where my aunt had previously vowed never to associate with other ‘lesser species’. Overtime, this involved regular visits to Hyrule Castle.”  
“Ah, yes.” Kass smiled, “It’s well known that you had a strong relationship with the Queen of Hyrule.”  
“I believe this is putting it lightly.” Urbosa muttered, “I loved her. Deeply and completely. I loved her with all of my heart. In a way, we grew into women together. I never felt truly complete until we had met.”  
Kass, unwilling to interrupt her with more questions, allowed her the space to talk.  
“And then came the princess. My little bird. And somehow, my love for the two of them grew even stronger as I saw them laugh and play together. I soon realised I had much left to learn. I didn’t think I needed companionship until I finally knew that I had it.”  
Urbosa’s gaze was firmly fixed onto the cracked ground beneath her, her eyelids heavy with sadness. “I don’t believe I need to tell you what happened next.”  
Kass shook his head lightly.  
“The absence of her dear mother had somehow drawn Zelda and I ever closer. Everything she was suffering through, I knew it all. I’d lived it all. It felt like..”  
She faltered, shaking ever so slightly, though not allowing herself to cry. “It felt like losing my mother all over again.”  
Urbosa choked back her tears and composed herself as quickly as she could. “I’d hoped to take care of Zelda after this. But life had its own plans. After her mother’s death, the two of us were torn apart by our responsibilities. Years passed. I began to see her less and less frequently as her rigorous training began to swallow all of her time. Her father pushed her harder and harder for reasons of his own, as much as I implored him that his approach would only serve to make Zelda feel more and more like a failure. But nothing I said seemed to matter. We only finally began to reconnect after I was chosen to be champion of the Gerudo.”  
“Is this what you wanted?” Kass asked quietly.  
“I don’t know to answer that.” She admitted, “Being a champion, I soon became aware of how much Zelda had grown since we’d stopped seeing each other regularly. I’d like to think I helped nurture the friendship between Link and Zelda into something stronger than it would’ve been. I could see in her eyes, she so desperately wanted somebody her own age to spend time with her, to understand her. And I’ve never had any doubt in my mind that Link is the best friend you could hope to have.”  
“I have yet to meet the Hylian champion.” Kass said, “Though many speak of him fondly.”  
“He saved all our lives on the day the Calamity fell.” She said, “He made sure the divine beasts wouldn’t collapse around us. And now, 100 years on from facing the monstrosity that nearly felled me within Naboris, I found myself awake in a strange pod, wrapped in glowing blue chains. Although I had been asleep, it truly felt like a century since I’d seen the sun.”  
She paused for a moment, conscious of the fact that the moon was no longer in the sky, the dwindling light of the sun beginning to creep over the horizon. “I just can’t shake the feeling that the world has left me behind. My mind and soul is hopelessly stuck within the past.”  
Urbosa blinked into the sun and stood, suddenly aware that she had little time to prepare for her journey to Hyrule Castle.  
“Thank you for telling me your story, Champion Urbosa.” Kass smiled, “And I truly hope you find a way to process all that’s occurred.”  
Urbosa stopped in her tracks, turning back to Kass to give a vague smile, before continuing to walk back into the town. In her mind, she knew she had much to think over.

But for now, there was work to be done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhey I rlly enjoyed making up Urbosa's backstory and I hope it wasn't too out of character/messes with canon or anything. I hope you're enjoying this if ur still reading and Daruk and Mipha will get their turns at some point soon!


	12. Thoughts of Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long journey across Hyrule, the champions finally reunite to set into motion their plan to save Mipha, and the realm itself, from the elusive Yiga.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Just to let anyone reading know, I'll be taking a smol hiatus from writing this fic until after christmas, but I'll be continuing to post chapters regularly after chrindmas. I really hope you're enjoying it and I v much appreciate ur read! Sidenote, I will be posting a one chapter fic at some point in the next week or so of all the champions doing secret santa and it's hopefully gonna be uhhh fun content so ye, have a fun pre-christmas/holidays my dudes

Link, Zelda and Urbosa set off from Gerudo Town at the first light of dawn, with the two Hylians feeling more well-rested then they had in a long time. Urbosa, however, was hit by a swathe of weariness as they departed, her lack of sleep the night before catching up to her. The path through the desert was quiet and calm, almost desolate. Monsters and people alike had seemingly abandoned the desert now the Yiga Clan's influence was continuing to grow. However, the odd tranquility was not to last. They had barely left Gerudo Desert when they were halted by an enraged group of bokoblins, wielding crude, misshapen wood resembling clubs. Link recklessly took the lead, eager to prove that his wounds had not hindered his skill. After clumsily felling two of the beasts, a third caught him by surprise and knocked him harshly to the ground. Urbosa swiftly appeared behind the monster, lifting it up with ease and holding its straggling limbs in place.  
"Link, use your head." She said sternly, "Remember what I taught you."  
Link inhaled deeply, holding a shaking hand aloft and clicking his fingers at their height. A small spark of bright energy sputtered out, but there was no effect.  
"Breathe, Link." Urbosa said, the bokoblin still hopelessly struggling in her grasp, "What's racing through your mind right now, channel it into your attack!"  
As Urbosa had detected, Link's thoughts were fraught with fear and haunting memories of the Calamity. He let out an ungodly cry as he raised his arm once again, letting out a gigantic burst of energy, knocking Zelda and Urbosa to the floor. The bokoblin had disappeared.  
"Link!" Zelda cried, holding him up to stop him from collapsing.  
"That was a little more powerful than I expected.” Urbosa admitted, brushing the dust off of herself, "To properly wield my powers, you will learn better to control their intensity."  
Link nodded vaguely, barely recovering from the pure shock coursing through his veins. He willed himself to continue on, assuring Zelda that he was able to walk, however shaky he may be. A few minutes of silence passed as the group regained their breath, the sandy path winding in every direction as they walked.   
"Urbosa, who exactly are we meeting at the castle?" Zelda asked.  
"Daruk replied almost immediately." Urbosa smiled, "He was very eager to return to the fray with us, as I expected. I wrote to Revali, but received no reply."  
"Oh." Zelda frowned, "I thought Revali would've put aside his differences with Link for Hyrule's benefit.”  
Link raised his eyebrows with guilt, wondering if he was to blame for Revali's absence.  
"Link, don't worry." Zelda reassured him, "We know you care about him too, he just doesn't quite realise it."  
Link nodded uncertainly, trying to put his worries to rest that Revali's contempt for him was somehow his fault.  
"No matter." Urbosa said, "We will find more allies elsewhere, I am sure of it."  
The group continued their arduous trek through Hyrule, silent and alone in their thoughts until they'd broken free of the Gerudo Canyon. As Hyrule Castle appeared over the horizon, the three of them tried their very best to keep their spirits as high as they were the night before. Zelda noticed Link walking further ahead and ran a little to catch up to him.   
"Link, I know this probably isn't that important right now," Zelda started, “But while we have a moment, I was wondering if you still had that photograph. You know, the one Purah took all that time ago.”  
Without a moment’s hesitation, Link pulled the neatly folded photograph out of his tunic and handed it to her. Zelda smiled widely and did the same.  
“We made enough copies for everyone. I keep it with me, always.”  
Link’s smile was enough to bring tears to Zelda’s eyes and she brushed against him, laughing at nothing in particular. Urbosa appeared to the side of them, her own photograph in perfect condition, which she added quietly to Zelda’s hand.   
“I think you underestimate how much sentiment can grow after 100 years, my little bird.” Urbosa said sadly, “Although I was asleep, each moment still felt like a century. And the weight of my sorrow, knowing you were in grave danger, worsened with each passing day.”  
Zelda pocketed her photograph and wrapped her arms around Urbosa awkwardly as they walked, not knowing how else to react. “I don’t ever want to imagine you upset, Urbosa.” Zelda muttered, “That would break my heart.”  
Urbosa ran her hand gently through Zelda’s long, flowing hair, her heart aglow with affection as the world around her seemed to fade away.  
Link returned his photograph to its home and peered out over the horizon, the husk of the castle drawing ever closer. As the trees finally became sparse and uneven and the path led to the gate of Hyrule Castle’s Town, the three of them once again saw the sun set over Hyrule. Urbosa was noticeably disconcerted, the absence of their allies seeming odd to her.  
“I somehow didn’t think we would be the first to arrive.” Urbosa frowned, scanning her surroundings systematically for any signs of Daruk. Link and Zelda said nothing, though silently shared her concern. They subconsciously formed a circle around each other, not allowing the growing darkness to catch them off-guard. The abrupt noise that rang out across the field, however, didn’t require any detailed searching to distinguish. The sound of light bickering echoed across the land as Daruk came into view clutching his club, with another smaller Goron in tow that the group didn’t recognise. When Daruk finally noticed them, he began bounding in their direction, overjoyed to see his friends once again. Scaring the three of them out of their skins, he scooped the three of them up into a long, slightly suffocating embrace.   
“I’m so happy to see you all!” Daruk cried, “Feels like it’s been years!”   
He placed each of his winded friends on the ground and singled Link out with a warm smile.  
“Good to see you again, little guy.” He smiled, a little calmer now.  
Link returned a smile and briefly leaned his head against Daruk’s giant form. The other Goron nervously poked his head out from behind Daruk, shaking like a leaf.  
“Oh, I have someone to introduce you to!” Daruk said enthusiastically, moving out of the way to reveal Yunobo, “This is Yunobo, my great great… son?” He scratched his head in confusion.  
The group greeted him warmly, with Link happy to see the familiar Goron who helped him rescue Daruk from Rudania. A gust of wind swiftly brought the group out of their reunion as Revali landed gracefully in the middle of them.  
“You might’ve told me where you were going!” Revali frowned, “I was searching for you for over an hour!”  
“Revali!” Zelda cried, “I didn’t think you were coming!”  
Revali was taken aback by the genuine smiles on the faces of his companions, his surprise melting away his anger.  
“This is indeed a welcome surprise.” Urbosa greeted.  
Revali glanced over at Link, who looked equally happy to see him, offering him an awkward wave as his gaze passed over him.  
“I… Well…” Revali choked, “H-how could I say no when Hyrule needs me once again?”  
“You mentioned a plan in your letter.” Daruk said, “Now the champions of Hyrule are almost together again, I think it’s time we hear it!”  
Urbosa stepped forward and looked each of them in the eye. “The elders of Hyrule have been taken and replaced by the Yiga Clan.” She started, “Rito Village remains unaffected, though their sights will surely have been set upon it. At the same time, Mipha and Sidon are being held captive in Zora’s Domain by the Yiga replacement of their father. We will need to divide our efforts to complete both missions simultaneously. This ensures no harm will come to Mipha or to Rito Village.”  
“Sorry, don’t mean to butt in,” Yunobo gulped, “But I p-promise that whatever you say, I’ll do it. I want to prove I won’t be a burden!”  
“Thank you, Yunobo” Zelda said, smiling politely.  
“See? He’s a good little guy! Always wants to help!” Daruk beamed.  
“How about the two of you accompany me to Rito Village to meet with the elder?” Zelda asked, “I could use your protection. Besides, I feel better equipped to warn others about what we’re dealing with now.”  
“Works for me.” Revali shrugged, “I think I need to stay away from the village for a while, allow my mind to clear.”  
“Then you shall accompany Link and I to Zora’s Domain.” Urbosa agreed, “I think Link is going to want to personally ensure the safety of Mipha if my assumptions are correct.”  
Link nodded gravely, his face forlorn and his eyes heavy with worry. Zelda placed a hand on his shoulder in reassurance.  
“Then it’s decided.” Urbosa said, “We should meet near the Yiga hideout when our tasks are complete, I believe then we will be ready to root them out at their source. Any questions?”  
They each remained silent, steadfast in knowing what they had to do. Apart from Yunobo, who was still very unclear on what exactly all of this was for, each of the champions were ready to protect the realm once again. And with that, the group slowly disbanded to make their various preparations, leaving Link and Zelda stood by the castle alone.  
“Here we are again.” Zelda mused, gazing out wistfully at the ruins of her former home, “Yet somehow the deep sadness and guilt I once felt seems to be fading. It no longer hurts to be here.”  
She looked over at Link and recalled in her mind how far the two of them had come in only a couple of weeks. “I really don’t think I could’ve done any of this without you.”  
Link was silent as always, but his face resonated gratitude and affection in a way Zelda knew he couldn’t put into words. She pulled him in for a hug, finally allowing herself to take her eyes off the castle.  
“Good luck, Link.” She whispered, holding his arms briefly as she pulled away, “Mipha is within reach. I’ll be praying for both of you.”  
Link nodded graciously and ran off to join Urbosa and Revali, who seemed to just be finishing a quiet argument about something he couldn’t decipher. Zelda glanced over again at Link as he ran off and eagerly rejoined Daruk and Yunobo. While they were once again splitting apart, now they knew they had a purpose, and more importantly, the promise of a proper reunion in the ever so near future. Carrying thoughts of home in their collective minds, they marched onward to their destinations, confidence brimming from their souls.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I don't really have much of a plan with this other than 'I wanted a post-game so I'm making one'. Expect some v frequent fluffy content later down the line and a lot of weird twists whenever I think of one. I really hope you enjoy what is basically my craving for more champion content and I'll try and keep new chapters coming as regularly as I can!
> 
> Also I know the title is bad it said it needed one idk


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